Collecting and folding machine.



R. C. SEYMOUR.

COLLECTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2|. I913.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

5] W00, ntoz" R. C. SEYMOUR.--

COLLECTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-21.19l3.

1,286,120. Patented Nov. 26, 1918;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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QMApE R. C. SEYMOUR. COLLECTING AND FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-211L913.

' 1,286, 120. Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- I f M M 4 a .ed to operate also upon sheets.

ance wlth certa1n features of the 1IlV eI1t1OIl,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH C. SEYMOUR, OF LARCHMONT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOSS PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COLLECTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

Application filed August 21, 1913. Serial No. 785885.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RALPH C. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at .Larchmont, in the county of lVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in C01- lecting and Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

\ The invention relates to sheet handling machines, and more especially to machines for cutting, folding and collecting sheets from a web.

The objects and advantages of the im'ention will in part be set forth hereinafter and will in part be obvious herefrom, and such objects and advantages are attained or effectuated by the means or instrumentalities set forth in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying'drawings, referred to.

serving in connection with the description to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation, with the front frame removed of a machine embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig, 2 is an elevation, looking at Fig. 1 from the right;

.Fig. 3 is an elevation looking at Fig. 1 from the left; and

Fi 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the s itter shown near thetop in the precedmg figures. 2

eferring to the accompanying drawin s, illustrating by way of example one embo iment of the invention, a mechanism is shown adapted to receive a running web as, although in many of its aspects the invention is adapt- In accorda plurality of webs may be fed or run side by side insteadof a single web a: as shown in the drawing,

Means are provided by the invention for cutting transversely the paper fed to the machine, cutting a portion of the width of the paper into sheets of one length and the remainder of said width into sheets of a different length. In accordance with one Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

feature of the invention, sheets of a shorter length are a submultiple of sheets of a longer length. Also in connection with certain features of the invention enumerated, there is provided by the invention means for longitudinally separating the portions of the web which have been cut transversely into different sheet lengths, thereby totally severing such sheets one from another.

As exemplified by the illustrated embodiment, a machine and instrumentalities included therein are provided adapted to operate u on a web as coming in at the upper part 0 the machine (see Fig. 1) from a printing press or other machine. As embodied. the web is cut transversely half way, or to the center line of the web, the cuts in one half of the web, so considered, being more frequent than in the other, and in the present embodiment. one half of the web is cut into sheets of half the length of the sheets into which the other half of-the web is out. That is, the transverse cuts in'one half of the web are made with double the lflreitf uency that they are made in the other Referring to the drawings, suitable feeding-in means for the web are provided, such as sets of rollers, 1 and 2, mounted, respectively, on corresponding shafts 3 and 4. Running over said rollers are a series of tapes 5. Suitable tightening devices for the tapes 5 may be provided, such as a series of rollers 6 bearing on the tapes and carried on a shaft 7. Said shaft 7 is mounted in a pair of pivotally mounted arms 9, which may be spring-pressed or yieldingly acted .upon in a suitable manner.

The embodied form of cutting means for the paper comprises a shaft 10, rotatably mounted in the machine frame, and carryin a plurality of rotating disks 11. Arranged along the shaft 10, and running from one disk 11 to another, is a web or blade holder 12, suitably recessed to receive the knife or shearing blade 13. On the other side of the paper. there is rotatably mounted in the machine frame, a shaft 14, carrying a plurality of disks or heads 15. A .web or support 16 extends along the shaft 14 and from one disk 15 to another, and is suitably recessed to hold the companion knife or shear blade 17 In such embodied form. this set of coact-ing shearing blades 13 and 17 extend entirely across th'e'machine, that is, across the entire width of the paper as it is fed past these rotaig cutters.

sa part of the embodied rotary cutter device there is provided a web or support 20,

extending longitudinally of the shaft 10 andfrom one disk or head 11 to another. Said web 20 is recessed'to receive a shearing blade or other suitable cutting device, and in accordance with one feature of the invention a cutting or shearing blade 21 is removably mounted in the holder or web 20. Such removable mounting is shown as bolts and nuts 22 which pass through the holder 20 and the blade 21 to hold it in position. The blade or cutter 21 is thus removable at pleasure, and one size or length of blade or cutter may be substituted for another. In the embodied form, the blade 21 extends from the side of the paper to the center thereof and is thus adapted to make a transverse cut from the edge to the center, that is, halfv way across the paper.

On the opposite side of the paper, a web or blade support 23 is likewise arranged longitudinally of the corresponding shaft 14, and extending from one head 15 to another, and is recessed to hold the blade 24. This shearing blade. 24 is likewise removably mounted, and bolt and nut fastenings 25 are shown for this purpose. As embodied, the blade 24 is of the same size or length as the blade 23, and acts oppositely thereto, that is, it cotiperates therewith to make a cut in the paper transversely half way across. The blades 13 and 17 may also be made removable if desired.

If the blades 21 and 24 are half the width of the web, as shown, and the blades 13 and 17 are the full Width of the web,\it will be seen that foreach complete rotation of the shafts 10 and 14, the web will receive one cut'or severance completely across its width, and that one-half of the web' or sheet, considered transversely, will receive a second cut or severance, a half revolution apart from the cut made by the blades 13 and 17.

In other words, one-half of the web or sheet will be cut transversely twice as often and into half the length of the'other half of the web or sheet.

If two webs are run side by side, the

sheets would be completely severed from each other by the transverse cuttings, one set or series of sheets being of different size from the other. Means are provided by the invention, coiiperatingwith the transverse severing means, for longitudinallysevering' a full-width web, so as to'separate it into the sheets of different lengths. In the embodied form of such means, a shaft 30 is rotatably mounted in the machine frame,

said shaft carrying a rotary slitting disk 31. A suitable shaft 32is likewise mounted in the machine frame, and carries a grooved disk 33, the disk 31 and the disk 33 cooperatlag together to slit the web at longitudinally and centrally.

Means are provided for directing the vsheets of different sizes to the subsequent mechanisms, .and in the embodied form thereof, a series of throat-bars 34 are mounted upon a shaft 35, and an opposing and cotiperating set of throat-bars 36 are mounted upon a rod or shaft 37, the sheets passing between these two sets of throatbars. Mountedbeyoncl or below the cutting devices, and in cooperative relation with the throat-bars, is a set of rotating disks or rollers 38 carried on shaft 39. Operating against the series of disks 01' rollers 39 is a similar set of disks or rollers 40, carried on shaft 41. Suitable driving means (not shown) for these disks are provided. The end of the web is received between these two sets of driven disks or rollers 38 and 40, and directed forward through the machine. These disks or rollers may be provided, respectively, with cut-away portions 42 and 43, to give a prompt and full re-' lease to the tail of the sheets.

In the embodied form there is also provided a second group of ciioperating rollers or disks, comprising a set. of rollers or desirable or convenient, one group of the opposed rollers or disks may be rendered inactive, and further, in accordance with one feature of the invention, a part of one, or of either, group of opposed rollers or disks may be rendered inoperative in any suitable manner. By way vof example, the half. of two opposed series of disks, considered transversely of the machine, could have their cut-away or lower portions alined toward, or facing, thevpaper as it is fed therebetween, and the disks of such group half way across the machine could then be held from rotation with their respective shafts, being released therefrom by suitable found suitable. or convenient.

Means are also provided for throwing ofi',

or rendering inoperative, an entire group or set of the opposed disks. For this purpose,

ings in the machine frame, of suitable form, said bearings being adjustable by means of threaded rods 56, provided with suitable nuts 57, and acted upon by corresponding 2 the shaft 51 is provided with slidable bearsprings 58. Similiar devices and connections are provided for the series of disks 52, comprising screw-threaded rods 59, having, respectively, nuts 00, and springs 61.

By the construction and arrangement just described, the two groups of forwarding disks could operate upon -sheets of one length, and one group thereof could operate upon sheets of another length if desired, or one entire group of the opposed disks can be thrown out of action entirely across the width of the web or paper.

Means are provided for folding the sheets of different lengths separately from each other, whether one length is run at a time, for a part of the width of the machine or for the entire width of the machine, or whether the sheets of different lengths are run together or are cut and run at the same time. Means are likewise provided by the invention, in accordance with one of its features, for collecting sheets of either length if desired. i In certain of its aspects also, the invention provides for folding sheets of either length so as to give a free or cut edge all around to either a single sheet or group of sheets, or to fold either a single sheet or a group of sheets, so as to have a closed fold like a signature, which opens only at the central fold.

In the embodied form of such means, a cylinder or equivalent member 70 is provided, carried by and rotating with a shaft 71, which shaft is suitably journaled in the machine frame. Said cylinder 70 is provided with a set of grippers 72 for taking the lead edge of the sheet. A suitable set of spring pressed rollers or disks 73, carried on pivoted arms 74:, or other suitable sheet retaining devices, may beprovided cooperating wlth the cylmder or equivalent member 70 is a cylinder or like member 80,

carried by and rotating with a shaft 81, which shaft is suitably mounted in the machine frame. Said cylinder 80 is provided with a set of folding jaws 82, or with a plurality of sets of folding jaws 82-and 83.

The actuating and timing mechanisms and whereby an additional fold may be made in the sheets, or in the group of collected sheets. as they pass from the cylinder 80, or the sheets may be delivered without further folding. In accordance with one feature of the invention, means are provided which may be used to give an additional longitudinal fold to the sheet or group of sheets delivered from the cylinder or like member 80.

In the embodied form of such means, a pair of folding rollers 90 are provided, which rollers are driven in a suitable manner, as by a pair of bevel gears 91, which gears connect one of said rollers 90 with a driven shaft. 2. Intermeshing spur gears 93 serve to drive one roll 90 from the other. Cooperating with said folding jaws is a swinging or guillotine folding blade 94, all of which may be generally similar to the 'devices of the same kind, which are later described, and which are shown in Fig. 3 also. The folded product from the rolls 90 is received into a suitable receptacle 98. Guiding bars 95 and 96, guide the sheets to the folding rolls 90 from the cylinder 80, and a stop 97 serves to register the sheets for folding. If it is desired to receive a plurality of separated products from the cylinder 80, a corresponding plurality of the transverse folding devicesjust described may be arranged to receive the products from the cylinder 80, in substantially the same general arrangement as is shown in Fig. 3 for the other part of the machine, and shown to the left of the parts just described in Fig, 1.

If it is desired to deliver the sheets from the cylinder 80 without further folding. as is provided by one feature of the invention, the sheets may be delivered directly from said cylinder 80 to a suitable delivery device, such as the intermittent pocket conveyer 100, which convcyer works over a suitable roller 101, and other supports and driving connections, not shown.

Means are provided by the invention for collecting the cut sheets of shorter length and for collecting them prior to folding. In the embodied form of such means a collecting cylinder or like member is carried upon a shaft 106, which shaft is suitably mounted in the machine frame. Said cylinder or like member is provided with a plurality of sets of collecting grippers, marked, respectively, 107, 108 and 109, and designed and arranged to collect and build up'the sheets into groups before delivering them to the folder. Suitable devices may likewise be provided for holding the sheets to the cylinder 105 during the opening of the grip ers for collecting the sheets, which devices not shown) may be generally similar to the pressure rollers 73. A set of holding or pressing rollers 110 are shown, working oppositely to cylinder 105 to insure the forwarding of the released group of sheets to the folding mechanism.

The folding mechanism as embodied comprises sets of folding rollers 111 cooperating together-and driven by suitable means, such as intermeshing bevel gears 112, which gears are driven from'shaft 113. One roller of the pair 111 is driven from theother by suitable spur gears 114. A receptacle 115 for the folded product may be provided. A swinging or guillotine folding blade 116 cooperates with each pair of folding rolls 111. Each blade 116 is shown carried on a pivotally mounted arm 117, actuated by a suitable cam 118, said arm being held to its cam by a suitable spring 119. Guide bars 120 and 121 guide the product from the cylinder or like member 105 to the folding rolls 111, a suitable stop 122 serving to register the product at the rolls 111 for folding. A switch or stripper device 123, operated by suitable actuating mechanism (not shown) strips the product from the cylinder 105 and directs it to the folder.

Means are provided by the invention for severing the folded product from the cyl-. inder 80, especially where there are a plurality of folding mechanisms 90 for longitudinally folding sheets delivered thereto from the cylinder 80. Such a severing mechanism is shown in Fig. 1 only, and as comprising. the rotary slitter 7 9 carried on shaft 78, mounted in the machine frame, and driven in suitable manner, and cooperating with the cylinder 80. If desired, it could be located to cotiperate with cylinder instead. If desired, the slitter or slitters 31 may be used instead for producing the same product.

Concerning the manner of operation of the herein described mechanism, many features thereof will be clear from what. has already been said.

The machine may be considered as operating upon a single web w, as shown in Fig. 1, said web being directed through the rotary cutter mechanism. If but a single pair of cutting blades be mounted in the rotary cutting mechanism, and they extend all the way across the width of the web, the sheets cut will be-what may be conveniently termed double length sheets. Considering further the sheets as being forwarded to cylinder 70, the cut sheets are forwarded by the forwarding disks andthroat bars, to said cylinder 70, and are taken by the grippers 72. If the cylinder 72 is not collecting, the single sheet will be folded off therefrom into one of the sets offolding jaws 82 or 83 upon the cylinder 80. The sheets so folded may be delivered to the carrier 100, in which case the sheet is delivered with all the edges free or cut. The sheet so folded by cylinder 80, may .be slifted longitudinally, either in Laemao the web, as by the slitter, or slitters, 31, 33, or sheet slitting, mechanism, may 'be employed such as the rotary slitter 79.

If desired, the sheets from the cylinder may receive an additional fold longitudinally, or in a direction transverse to that of the firstfold given on the cylinder 80. In this case, instead of being delivered to the ,conveyer 100, the folded sheet is delivered to the folding device 90, and may be registered for folding by the stop 97. In such case after being folded by rolls 90 is delivered as a closed signature, or with one end uncut, and opening at the middle.

The cylinders of the printing press may be arranged to take the plates with the page length extending along the cylinder, or with the page length extending about the cylinder, to harmonize with the particular kind of product desired as finally cut and folded. Suitable stripping devices may be used with either mode of delivery from the cylinder 80, which may be similar to the strippers 123, or of other suitable or convenient form. If it be still assumed that one pair of cutting or shearing blades be used in the rotary cutter mechanismand the double length sheets are cut from the web, the cylinder 7 0 may be used as a collecting cylinder. It will be assumed that said cylinder collects two sheets, the second upon the first. In this case only one of the sets 82 or 83 of the folding jaws on cylinder 80 are used for folding off the sheets from cylinder 70. If the folded product be delivered from the cylinder 80 to the conveyer 100, the product will consist of a signature of eight pages, open or cut all around. If the product is forwarded from the cylinder 80 to the folder or folders 90, the product will consist of one or more signatures having a closed warded to the collecting cylinder 105 and after collecting a collected group of sheets is delivered to the folding mechanism, or mechanisms, 111, are registered by the stop 122, and are folded to give a signature having all cutedges. It will thus be seen that among the possible products are either a closed end sixteen page signature from the folder 90, or a sixteen page signature from the folder 111 with all cut edges.

Both a long set of shearing blades and a short set of shearing blades may be used in the cutting mechanism, and one or more short sheets run on one side of the machine, and one or more long sheets run on the other side of the machine depending on its width and duplication of the devices, and a plurality of various products may be simultaneously delivered, and each product delivered at the full speed of the press.

Suitable tapes running in cooperation with the tapes 5, from the opposite side of the web therefrom may be provided, but are onritted from Fig. 1 for the sake of clearness in showing other parts of the mechanism, but are shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

It will be understood that the various mechanisms may be advanced or timedin a suitable manner for the various purposes and products. It will be also understood that the various adaptations and ways of operating are illustrative in character and not restrictive.

The invention, in its broader aspects, is

not limited to the particular constructions shown, nor to any particular constructions by which it has been or may be carried into effect, as many changes may be made in the construction without departing from the main principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A folding machine including in combination web supplying means, and means for cutting a portion of the width of said web into shorter sheets and a portion of the width of the web into longer sheets, and means for folding sheets of one length longitudinally and sheets of another length transversely.

2. A folding machine including in combination web supplying means, and means for cutting a portion of the width of said web into shorter sheets and a portion of the width of the web into longer sheeets, and means for folding sheets of one length longitudinally and sheets of another length transversely.

3. A folding machine including in combination Web supplying means, and means for cutting said web transversely into different lengths, and means for folding sheets 7 of one length longitudinally and sheets of another length transversely.

4. A folding machine including in combination means for feeding forward side by side sheets of different length, and means for folding sheets of one lengthlongitudinally and sheets of another length trans versely.

5. A folding machine including in combination means for feeding forward side by side sheets of different length, 'a longij tudinal folder and a transverse folder and means for directing sheets of one length to the longitudinal folder and sheets of an other length to the transverse folder.

6. A machine of the kind described including in combination paper feeding means and sheet forming-means comprising a rotary cutter adapted to cut the paper across and then only partly across successively, and means for folding said different lengths separately.

7. A machine of the kind described incl uding in combination paper feeding means and sheet forming means comprising a retary cutter adapted to cut the paper across and then only partly across successively,

and longitudinal slitting means for slitting the paperlongitudinally, and means for folding said different lengths separately. 8. A machine of the kind described including in combination paper feeding means, and sheet forming means comprising a rotary cutter having a pair of cutters extending all the way across the path of the paper, and a pair of cutters extending only part way across the path of the paper, and means for folding said different lengths separately.

9. A machine of the kind described 111- cluding in combination paper feeding.

cluding in combination paper feeding means and sheet forming means comprising a rotary cutter adapted to cut the paper across and then only partly across successively, and means for folding one length of paper tralnsversely and another length longitudi: na y. a

11. A machine of the kind described including in combination paper feeding means, and sheet forming means comprising a rotary cutter having a pair of cutters extending all the way across the path of the paper and a pair of cutters extending only part way across the path of the paper, and means for folding one length of the paper transversely and another length longitudinally.

12. A machine of the kind described including in combination web supplying sheet cutting means comprising a longitudinal cutting device and transverse sheet cutting devices making successively transverse cuts entirely across the web and transverse cuts partly across the web, said devices cooperating together to produce sheets of different lengths and of less width than the web, and collecting devices collecting the different sized sheets separately from each other. a

13. A machine of the kind described including in combination web sup lying sheet cutting means comprising a ongitudinal cutting device and transverse sheet cutting devices making successively transverse cuts ferent sized sheets separately from each a entirely across the web and transverse cuts partly across the web, said devices cooperating together to produce sheets of different lengths and of less width than the web, collecting devices collecting the difother, and a folding device folding sheets from one collecting device and another folder folding sheets from the other collecting device.

14. A machine of the kind described including in combination web supplying sheet cutting means comprising a longitudinal cutting device and transverse sheet cutting devices making successively transverse cuts entirely across the web and transverse cuts partly across the web, said devices cooperating together to produce sheets of different lengths and of less width than the web and folding devices, one for one size sheets and another for another size sheets.

15. A machine of the kind described including in combination web supplying sheet cutting. means comprising a longitudinal cutting device and transverse sheet cutting devices making successively transverse cuts entirely across the weband transverse cuts partly across the web, said devices cooperating together to produce sheets of different lengths and of lesswidth than the web, a pathway for the sheets, and a pluralityof rotary collecting devices, one of said devices taking sheets of one size from said pathway and another of said collecting devices taking sheets of another size from said pathway.

16. Anlaclnne of the kind described Including in combination web supplying means,

cooperating mechanism for cutting the web longitudinally and transversely to produce sheets narrower than the web, a transverse folder adapted to fold simultaneously, side RALPH C. SEYMOUR Witnesses:

' JOHN D. MORGAN,

Rose MENK. 

